Six Vols Named To Pre-Season All-SEC Teams
By Zach Ragan
September 29, 2012; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley (3) runs away from Tennessee Volunteers linebacker A.J. Johnson (45) in the second half at Sanford Stadium. The Bulldogs won 51-44. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
The SEC Media Days pre-season All-SEC teams were released on Thursday morning. Six Vols were included on the three teams.
First Team
A.J. Johnson – LB – Junior
Second Team
Antonio Richardson – OL – Junior
Ja’Wuan James – OL – Senior
Third Team
Zach Fulton – OL – Senior
James Stone – OL – Senior
Daniel McCullers – DL – Senior
Here’s the full list.
There’s no doubt that A.J. Johnson belongs on the first team. He led the SEC in tackles (138) last season, and was fourth overall in the NCAA. This will likely be Johnson’s last season as a Volunteer, there’s a good chance he’ll be a late first or early second round pick if he foregoes his senior season.
Antonio “Tiny” Richardson has reason to feel slighted. Richardson is definitely deserving of a first team-selection, especially when you consider he was one of the offensive lineman mentioned by Jadeveon Clowney as one of the best he’d played against.
Speaking of Clowney, the biggest surprise may have been that of the 243 media members that voted, only 223 voted for Clowney. That means somewhere there are 20 folks that apparently have not seen Clowney’s hit on Michigan’s Vincent Smith in the Outback Bowl.
The media also voted on the projected order of finish and the league champion.
EASTERN DIVISION
Georgia (149) – 1570
South Carolina (75) – 1474
Florida (19) – 1300
Vanderbilt – 858
Tennessee – 694
Missouri – 577
Kentucky – 331
WESTERN DIVISION
Alabama (225) – 1681
Texas A&M (11) – 1333
LSU (7) – 1324
Ole Miss – 883
Auburn – 579
Mississippi State – 516
Arkansas – 488
SEC CHAMPION
Alabama – 182
Georgia – 38
South Carolina – 18
Texas A&M – 4
LSU – 1
It comes as no surprise that Alabama dominated the voting in the SEC West and for the SEC championship.
Tennessee’s predicted finish of fifth surprises me a bit. The Vols, with a new regime in place, should be able to slip past Vanderbilt for fourth in the SEC East. It is, however, understandable why the Vols are predicted to finish in fifth, after their struggles in the past few seasons.
It’s fun to look at these types of things before the season starts, but chances are these lists will have a much different look come December.
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